Three outstanding high school students representing Jones-Onslow EMC, Brunswick EMC and EnergyUnited have won Youth Tour Scholarships. These prestigious scholarships are awarded annually to support the first year of college for well-deserving students who participated in the annual Youth Tour, possess exceptional leadership skills and share the electric cooperatives’ concern for community.

The 2021 Youth Tour Scholarship winners are:

• Catherine Lee, representing Jones-Onslow EMC, was the recipient of the $2,500 Gwyn B. Price Scholarship. Lee is a senior at Jacksonville High School and plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington to study elementary education.
• Betsy Kornegay, representing Brunswick EMC, was the recipient of the $2,000 Katie Bunch Memorial Scholarship. Kornegay is a senior at Columbus Career and College Academy and plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study biology.
• Sydney Loflin, representing EnergyUnited, was the recipient of the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) Scholarship. She was selected for her $2,000 award by her peers during the 2021 Virtual Youth Tour after they voted her the winner of the YLC speech competition. Loflin plans to attend N.C. State University in the fall to study agricultural education, focusing on natural resources.

Catherine Lee, Betsy Kornegay, Sydney Loflin

“This past year’s Youth Tourists have inspired us through their accomplishments and commitment to their communities,” said Paul Mott, Youth Tour director and government affairs specialist for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. “As the 2021 Youth Tour scholarship winners, Catherine, Betsy and Sydney have proven they are destined for great things. We look forward to hearing of their accomplishments wherever life takes them.”

The 2022 Youth Tour is scheduled to return to Washington, D.C. this summer, where students will network with peers from across the country, meet members of congress, visit national museums and historic landmarks, and grow in confidence and friendships. The annual trip is supported by electric cooperatives nationwide, including those in North Carolina, since 1958. To learn more about Youth Tour, visit https://www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/in-the-community/youth-tour/.